Toronto bike shop recommendations

[Jason Spaceman]

wadoflove wrote:
> Hey JS,
>
> If its not too late try La Bicicletta http://www.labicicletta.com/www.labicicletta.com which is in
> TO. They have been really helpful on the phone and they stock good high end bikes, though not
> Cervelo. Have you thought about Marinoni? I am trying to decide between Marinoni which are
> beautifully built but have no name recognition here in Europe or Cervelo which now everyone knows
> about cos of Tyler and the TdF. Last time I lived in Toronto (granted it was 14 years ago) I
> thought Dukes was a good shop and Racer Sportif were a bunch of arrogant dickheads. Lousy service
> and a lousy mechanic who nearly ruined the bearing races on my hubs by overtightening, I could
> hardly turn the wheel when I got it home and had to buy some cone wrenches to adjust them myself.
>

Too late, I already bought a bike from Duke's (a 2004 Trek 5200). I picked it up 2 weeks ago after
my order finally came in.

I did check out La Bicicletta though, and I was impressed with it. They seem pretty thorough when it
comes to fitting you for a bike. When I was there they did have some Cervelos in stock although not
a lot. The guy mentioned that they are having a hard time getting orders from Cervelo filled (Duke's
also told me the same thing). Cervelo also had a display set up at the World Road Championships in
Hamilton, although they weren't permitted to sell any bikes.

I liked the Marinonis I tested, especially this steel/carbon fibre model that Bicicletta had (it
would have been my 2nd choice if Duke's wasn't able to get me the Trek).

Bicicletta also had Looks, Lightspeeds, De Rosas, etc. in stock.

As for Racer Sportif, yeah you kind of feel a bit of arrogance in the air when you talk to some of
the people there. I test drove an Aquila Ti when I was at their shop. It seemed like a nice bike,
but I don't know much about Aquila or where they are made, frame quality, etc. So I decided not to
go with them.

J. Spaceman

 

[Carl Fogel]

Jason Spaceman <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> wadoflove wrote:
> > Hey JS,
> >
> > If its not too late try La Bicicletta http://www.labicicletta.com/www.labicicletta.com which is
> > in TO. They have been really helpful on the phone and they stock good high end bikes, though not
> > Cervelo. . . . Last time I lived in Toronto (granted > > it was 14 years ago) I thought Dukes
> > was a good shop and Racer Sportif were a bunch of arrogant dickheads. Lousy service and a lousy
> > mechanic who nearly ruined the bearing races on my hubs by overtightening, I could hardly turn
> > the wheel when I got it home and had to buy some cone wrenches to adjust them myself.
> >
>
[ snip ]
> I did check out La Bicicletta though, and I was impressed with it. They seem pretty thorough when
> it comes to fitting you for a bike.
>
[ snip ]
>
> As for Racer Sportif, yeah you kind of feel a bit of arrogance in the air when you talk to some of
> the people there.
[ snip ]
>
> J. Spaceman

Dear Jason,

Your instinctive dislike of the French as exemplified by Racer Sportif (who may be a fine bunch for
all I know) puts the Simpsons solidly behind you:

3 Nov 1996 Simpsons episode 3F23 "You Only Move Twice": Supervillain Hank Scorpio asks: "Homer,
what's your least favorite country: Italy or France?" When Homer says France, Hank replies: "Nobody
ever says Italy."

There's a whole page pandering to Franco-phobia, its lavish selection of anti-French bon mots
studded with gems from the Simpsons, at:

http://www.rotten.com/library/culture/american-francophobia/

24 Oct 1999 Simpsons episode AABF21 "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?": After a French
pastry chef brusquely shoos Ned Flanders away from a tempting éclair, Ned responds: "A rude
Frenchman? Well, I never!"

Of course, I understand that the French throw a pretty good bike race every summer, and Peter Mayle
makes them seem impossibly charming.

Xenophobically yours,

Carl Fogel

 

[wadoflove]

Originally posted by Carl Fogel
Dear Jason,

Your instinctive dislike of the French as exemplified by Racer Sportif (who may be a fine bunch for
all I know) puts the Simpsons solidly behind you:

3 Nov 1996 Simpsons episode 3F23 "You Only Move Twice": Supervillain Hank Scorpio asks: "Homer,
what's your least favorite country: Italy or France?" When Homer says France, Hank replies: "Nobody
ever says Italy."

There's a whole page pandering to Franco-phobia, its lavish selection of anti-French bon mots
studded with gems from the Simpsons, at:

http://www.rotten.com/library/culture/american-francophobia/

24 Oct 1999 Simpsons episode AABF21 "Guess Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?": After a French
pastry chef brusquely shoos Ned Flanders away from a tempting éclair, Ned responds: "A rude
Frenchman? Well, I never!"

Of course, I understand that the French throw a pretty good bike race every summer, and Peter Mayle
makes them seem impossibly charming.

Xenophobically yours,

Carl Fogel [/B]

Jeez Carl,

Where did this come from? Racer Sportif has nothing to do with the French apart from the name. For your education, the French are anything but rude, a little self-centred maybe, but not rude. No, the rudest people in this world are the AMERICANS. Perhaps not to each other but when they are travelling. You know, the ones who descend on Paris every summer, not having bothered to learn a word of French (not even Merci or S'il vous plait) and have no idea of the customs of this country and then walk up to people in shops and say "How much is this?" and when they don't answer immediately they yell the same thing louder as if it was a hearing problem not a language problem "HOW MUCH". Then when they get the answer to their rudely asked question they say things like "In yer money or my money?". I could give hundreds of examples of their poor behaviour but I'll let you educate yourself by visiting other countries and seeing for yourself. I've lived for at least 2 years in 3 different European countries including France and Paris and have never felt that the French were rude in comparison to the American Tourists.

The most insulting thing to be called as a foreigner living in Europe in my humble Canadian opinion is "American".

 

[Carl Fogel]

wadoflove <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Carl Fogel wrote:
> > Dear Jason, Your instinctive dislike of the French as exemplified by Racer Sportif (who may be
> > a fine bunch for all I know) puts the Simpsons solidly behind you: 3 Nov 1996 Simpsons episode
> > 3F23 "You Only Move Twice": Supervillain Hank Scorpio asks: "Homer, what's your least favorite
> > country: Italy or France?" When Homer says France, Hank replies: "Nobody ever says Italy."
> > There's a whole page pandering to Franco-phobia, its lavish selection of anti-French bon mots
> > studded with gems from the Simpsons, at:
> > http://www.rotten.com/library/culture/american-francophobia/http://www-
> > .rotten.com/library/culture/american-francophobia/ 24 Oct 1999 Simpsons episode AABF21 "Guess
> > Who's Coming to Criticize Dinner?": After a French pastry chef brusquely shoos Ned Flanders
> > away from a tempting éclair, Ned responds: "A rude Frenchman? Well, I never!" Of course, I
> > understand that the French throw a pretty good bike race every summer, and Peter Mayle makes
> > them seem impossibly charming. Xenophobically yours, Carl Fogel
>
>
>
> Jeez Carl,
>
> Where did this come from? Racer Sportif has nothing to do with the French apart from the name. For
> your education, the French are anything but rude, a little self-centred maybe, but not rude. No,
> the rudest people in this world are the AMERICANS. Perhaps not to each other but when they are
> travelling. You know, the ones who descend on Paris every summer, not having bothered to learn a
> word of French (not even Merci or S'il vous plait) and have no idea of the customs of this country
> and then walk up to people in shops and say "How much is this?" and when they don't answer
> immediately they yell the same thing louder as if it was a hearing problem not a language problem
> "HOW MUCH". Then when they get the answer to their rudely asked question they say things like "In
> yer money or my money?". I could give hundreds of examples of their poor behaviour but I'll let
> you educate yourself by visiting other countries and seeing for yourself. I've lived for at least
> 2 years in 3 different European countries including France and Paris and have never felt that the
> French were rude in comparison to the American Tourists.
>
> The most insulting thing to be called as a foreigner living in Europe in my humble Canadian
> opinion is "American".

Dear Jason,

Gosh, with that sense of humor you could almost pas for a stereotypical French waiter, not a
humble Canadian.

Au revoir, eh?

Carl Fogel

 

[Ajames54]

On 14 Nov 2003 01:52:18 GMT, [email protected] (Joe) wrote:

>> The most insulting thing to be called as a foreigner living in Europe in my humble Canadian
>> opinion is "American".
>
>Q: Do you know why they planted trees along the road in Paris?
>
>A: So the German army could march in the shade.
>
Actually it was so Napoleons army could march in the shade...

Lets keep the foolish jingoist BS where it belongs ... in RASF1

 

[wadoflove]

Originally posted by Ajames54
On 14 Nov 2003 01:52:18 GMT, [email protected]arrot (Joe) wrote:

>> The most insulting thing to be called as a foreigner living in Europe in my humble Canadian
>> opinion is "American".
>
>Q: Do you know why they planted trees along the road in Paris?
>
>A: So the German army could march in the shade.
>
Actually it was so Napoleons army could march in the shade...

Lets keep the foolish jingoist BS where it belongs ... in RASF1

You're right. I just get steamed when people buy into this scary right wing hate mongering without thinking about it. So put in my two cents without thinking about others... for the record its not all Americans who behave like loud mouthed boors in Europe, those are just the ones that everyone notices!
€8'B